Trading Spaces ' Carter Oosterhouse Says Daughter Flora, 5, Helps to 'Shape' His Playground Builds

Courtesy carter osterhouse

When it comes to what's cool on the playground, Carter Oosterhouse says his 5-year-old daughter has her finger on the pulse.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the Trading Spaces alum, 45, discusses his nonprofit Carter's Kids' upcoming playground builds, in partnership with Chuck E. Cheese, and how his daughter Flora, 5, has helped to "shape" some of his projects.

As part of the Playground Project initiative, Oosterhouse's nonprofit — which has already built almost 90 playgrounds in 22 states since its founding in 2006 — will build two additional playgrounds at elementary schools in Pasadena, California, and Dallas, two communities where Chuck E. Cheese serves.

"We want to build as many playgrounds as humanly possible, and it all revolves around kids and giving back to communities that otherwise may need a playground or a play space. We need to have safe spaces for kids to be physically active," the TLC star tells PEOPLE.

Oosterhouse explains that Chuck E. Cheese wants to "expand their play" beyond an indoor area with these playgrounds. "I had those childhood memories growing up inside their space, inside their four walls," says the famed carpenter. "Now we get to go outside and promote physical fitness, self-esteem."

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Courtesy carter osterhouse

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Oosterhouse says that his daughter Flora, whom he shares with wife, actress Amy Smart, will join him on his upcoming playground builds as his "right hand man."

"She's going to be right there with me," he says. "She's been around a lot of playgrounds. When we go out to these various cities and we go to a playground, not one that we built or anything, I kind of see what she gravitates towards."

"It's a nice way to be like, 'Oh, okay. She's 5. This is what she's into right now.' It's cool to have this little person who's helping to shape [the projects.] She's on the front lines of knowing what's cool and what's not," he adds.

Besides hanging out at playground builds, Oosterhouse says his daughter is really into biking and can "easily put up three miles in just one shot."

"She's an ace on a bike, and it's really fun to see how much she enjoys it," he says. "We love to get out, the whole family. We love to get out as much as we can."

"It's that kind of outdoor activity she loves. When we're in Michigan, we're on the lake all the time. We're on a boat, and so she's into tubing. She's into jumping off in the middle," Oosterhouse adds, calling Flora "such a little daredevil."